Eipiosive devices



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Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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m2. FIMMUNITION AND EXPLIDSIVE DEVICES 5. SCHNEIDER. SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.4. I9I1.

Patented Nov. Il, 1919.

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im. Iifilt/EMUIITION AND EWLCSIVE DEVICES UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF LE CREUZOT, FRANCE, ASSIG'NOR TO SCHNEIDER S6 CIE., 0F PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

SUBMARINE MINE.

Application filed September 4, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Le Creuzot, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Submarine Mines, which is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to submarine mines for blockading purposes, constructed in such a manner that the whole arrangement constituted by the float and the sinker, shall first sink to the bottom, whereupon the float will become separated from the sinker and will ascend toward the surface of the water and remain at a predetermined distance below the surface.

Mines of this kind have already beenproposed wherein the immersion of the float to the desired depth is effected by causing the cable that connects the ioat to the sinker, to be acted upon by a device such as a. hydrostatic piston fixed to or near the float.

These known mines necessitate a special construction both of the float and of the sinker.

The present invention is now designed to achieve the above stated object by means of devices which are wholly located in the sinker, thereby dispensing with the necessity of a special construction of the said sinker,

A mine constructed according t-o this invention comprises, like the known mines, a hydrostatic device for actuating the stop pin of the windlass from which the buoy rope connecting the float to the sinker is unwound; this device coming into operation after the float has become separated from the sinker at the bottom of the sea, that is to say, at the point or near the point where the sinker is resting on the bottom.

According to this invention all the parts for effecting the regulation of the depth of immersion are located in the sinker. For this purpose the sinker contains in addition to the windlass and its stopping device, the hydrostatic device for actuating the said stopping device. This hydrostatic device is subjected on one face or side to the pressure corresponding to the depth at which the sinker is situated, and it is subjected on its other face or side to a constant pressure, for instance, atmospheric pressure. It is further subjected to an opposing action of a movable part which is adapted to be moved Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

Serial No. 189,587.

by the unwinding of the buoy rope. The action of this part will come into operation as hereinafter described byl reason of the pre-eEected regulation of its starting position, at the exact moment when the length of the cable that is still unwound is equal to the selected depth of immersion of the ioat. In other words the length of the buoy rope that has been unwound up to the time of the ascent of the float, is less than the depth of the sea at the anchoring place, by an amount which is equal to the selected depth of immersion of the itloat.

This invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the aocompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example an embodiment of the present invention.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a plan of the general arrangement of the improved apparatus for regulating the depth of immersion, located wholly in the sinker.

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections taken respectively on the lines II-II and III- III of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a diagram illustrating the manner in which the arrest of the main oat at the desired depth of immersion may be effected by pre-regulation of the starting point of the movable part that is actuated by the unwinding of the buoy rope, and that acts upon the hydrostatic device.

In the example shown, the hydrostatic device consists of a valve K supporting on its upper face having a cross sectional area S, the pressure that exists at the place where the sinker has sunk to the botom. The other face of the valve K communicates with a watertight chamber containing air at atmospheric pressure.

The valve is connected to one of the arms G1 of a rocking beam G-G1 which is balanced by a suitable weight and is pivoted at a point X (Fig. 4C).

The movable part which is actuated by the unwinding of the buoy rope, and which by moving the valve K, will produce the engagement of the device for stopping the windlass at the desired moment, always exerts an effort p upon the arm G, while its point of support is shifted along the said arm.

It may be assumed that the movable part exerts its effort p at X (at the pvot point of the rocking beam) at the instant when the buoy rope is' completely wound on the windlass, while the movements imparted to the said part are such that the said part will arrive at the end Y when the buoy rope (which hasra length corresponding to the maximum depth of descent of the sinker) has been completely unwound. Under these conditions it will be understood that the distance L of the point of application of p at X is constantly proportional to the length of the buoy rope unwound during the ascent of the float, and consequently to the distance between the said float and the bottom at the place of anchorage.

1f P be the pressure per superficial sq. cm. upon the valve K at the maximum depth of immersion H, and Z be the length of the arm G1, then the moment of the force tending to keep the valve K upon its seat will always be2-P S l. On the other hand, the moment of the force exerted by the movable part upon the arm G will vary from O to p L, if as above stated, it is assumed that the force is acting at X when the buoy rope is fully wound, and is acting at Y when it is fully unwound, the sinker being immersed at the maximum depth H.

It will 'be understood that by means of a suitable controlling mechanism it is possible in the meantime to cause the leverage of the force pto vary proportionately to the length of the buoy rope that has been unwound.

Moreover, the opposing force p may be determined in such a manner that its n'lomcnt sha-ll become preponderant at the instant when the movable part is situated at Y, the sinker being assumed to be immersed at the maximum depth H, equal to the total length of the buoy rope wound on the windlass. The Value of p will then be when the float reaches the surface this length will be L h WH l and the moment of p will be The rocking movement of the rocking beam for effecting the locking or arrest of exercises the force p, a certain lead L corresponding to a fraction of L equal to L it will be readily understood that whatever may be the depth of the immersion, the mo ments will balance one another, and the windlass will be locked when the float shall H L L from the surface. Therefore in order to attain the immersion of the fioat at a determined depth, it will be sufficient beforehand to shift the movable part exerting the force p, to an extent corresponding to the desired lITlHBlSlOll.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the several mechanisms necessary for regulating the depth of immersion are located in the sinker A,

The windlass drum B for winding and unwinding the buoy rope b3, is journaled in two brackets fixed to the brace L1 of the sinker. The first bracket b1 is an ordinary bracket, and the second bracket b2 is combined in a well known manner with a brake that will prevent the windlass drum from unwinding the buoy rope so long as the fioat C does not exert any pull upon it. The said brake also serves to limit the speed of unwinding when the apparatus is operating.

The main stop member D is under the action of a spring all which has a constant tendency to move the stop into engagement with a ratchet wheel B1 fixed to the windlass drum; the stop member being held out of engagement by a catch d2 which is pivoted at d3, and engages in a notch in the stop member, and is itself acted upon by a spring Z4 When the catch cl2, actuated by the hydrostatic device, releases the main stop member D, then the latter will lock the windlass drum.

The buoy rope b3'is wound upon the windlass drum and is fixed at one end to the said drum, while its other end, after passing through a guide eye a2, engages in the groove of a pulley E and is then fixed to the float by means of an eye bolt c1, after having passed through a second eye a3 fixed in the top of the sinker.

The pulley E is fixed on a shaft e1 jourand consequently to a depth equal to be situated at a distance equal to lill. iMli/lUNITION AND lEXfllSIVE DEVICES` naled in brackets e2 Iixed to the sinker bottom al. On the end of the said shaft there is fixed a pinion e3 engaging a pinion e4 fixed on a screw spindle c5 mounted in the bracket e6 and adapted by its rotation to shift a traveler F. This traveler is guided by means of two side pieces in two grooves of a guiding and supporting member f1 fixed to a wall of the sinker.

A bell crank lever f2 which is pivoted on an axle f3 fixed on the traveler, carries at the end of its lower arm a roller f4. The end of the upper arm of the said lever is attached to a spring f5 whose tension for producing the constant force p, is regulated by means of a screw f6 passing through an eye f7 in an extension of the traveler and upon which works a nut f8.

The roller f4 bears on the upper surface of the arm G of a rocking beam GG1. This surface is exactly parallel to the aXis of the screw spindle c5. The roller transmits the pressure 79 of the spring to the arm G. The rocking beam is pivoted on an axle g1 (that is, the axis X of the diagram) journaled in a bracket g2 fixed to the sinker bottom a1.

K is a valve workingI in a cylinder 761,' it rests on a seat 702 which limits its downward movement. The valve spindle is connected to the arm G1 of the rocking beam by means of a pin g3.

g5 is a balanced weight screwed on a screw-threaded extension g4 of the arm G1.

The axle b4 of the windlass drum B carries on a screw-threaded portion a traveler b5 which locks the rocking beam so long as the windlass drum has not made a determined number of unwinding turns; it carries at its end a crank designed to allow of the buoy rope being wound on the windlass drum.

The screw spindle e5 may also be provided on its end e7 with a crank by means of which the traveler F can be moved by han-d for the purpose of thereby regulating, at the time of anchoring, the depth of immersion which it is desired to give to the float.

The float is held on the sinker in any desired manner until the instant when the whole, namely the float and the sinker, has sunk to the bottom or near the bottom of the sea.

' The operation of the improved apparatus f is as follows:

The depth of immersion which it is desired to give to the mine is regulated by sliding the traveler F through a determined distance. The mine is then ready to be sunk.

After the sinking the whole arrangement constituted by the floating mine and the sinker rests on the bottom. At the end of a certain time the float mine is released and rises toward the surface, unwinding the buoy rope from the windlass drum; this operation being retarded by the brake b2. When a few turns of the buoy rope have been unwound from the windlass drum, the traveler b5 releases the rocking beam G-Gl which is kept at first in its original position by the pressure acting upon the valve K.

As the buoy rope unwinds, its friction in the groove of the pulley E drives the latter, and through the gearing el-ea-@e moves the traveler F which is shifted through a distance proportionate to the unwound length of the buoy rope., lVhen the traveler has moved through a distance such that the moment of the effort which it transmits to the arm G will be greater than the moment of the valve K produced by the pressure eX- isting at the depth of immersion l1, of the sinker, the effort of the traveler F will be* come preponderant and by its action, the arm G will be moved down. ln this movement the said arm meets and pushes back the catch d2, whereby the main stop member D is released which, being pushed forward by its spring all, engages in the teeth of the ratchet wheel B1.

The stoppage of the windlass drum takes place exactly at the instant when the float ing mine has reached the depth of immersion pre-determined by the adjustment of the traveler F, because the floating mine had still to pass, before arriving at the surface, through a length proportionate to the amount through which the said traveler had previously been shifted.

What I claim is:

1. In a structure of the character described, the combination of a sinker, a mine carried thereby and secured thereto by a cable wound on a drum within the sinker and free to unwind under the rising action of the mine, means for locking the drum to stop the unwinding action, and hydrostatically controlled mechanism holding said locking means out of action until the mine rises to a predetermined point.

2. In a device of the character described, a sinker, a mine carried thereby, a rotatable drum in said sinker, a cable wound on said drum and connected to said mine, the separation of said mine and sinker causing said cable to rotate said drum and be unwound therefrom, a stop device for said drum, and hydrostatically controlled mechanism for holding said stop device out of action.

3. In a device of the character described, a sinker, a mine carried thereon, a rotatable drum in said sinker, a cable wound around said drum and connected to said mine, the separation of said drum and mine as the latter rises causing said cable to rotate said drum and be unwound therefrom, a stop device for said drum, and means for releasing said stop device and consisting of a lever one arm of which is subjected to hydrostatic pressure and the other arm of which is subj ected to a pressure shifted from the fulcrum of said lever at a rate proportional to the length of cable unwound from said drum.

4. In a device of the character described, a sinker, a mine carried thereby, a rotatable drum, a cable wound on said drum and connected to said mine, the rising action of said mine causing the cable to rotate the drum and be unwound therefrom, a Stop device for said drum, and mechanism for tripping said stop device, said mechanism comprising a two-armed lever and means for applying force to each arm of said lever, one of said forces being hydrostatic pressure, and the means for applying force to the other arm being both manually and automatically shiftable.

5. In a device of the character described, a sinker, a mine carried thereby, a rotatable drum in said sinker, a cable wound on said drum and connected to said mine, the separation of said mine and sinker causing said cable to rotate said drum and be unwound therefrom, a stop device for said drum, a two-armed lever, means applying hydrostatic pressure to one of said arms, a pressure-applying means shiftable along the other arm proportionally to the unwinding of said cable, said lever being in operative relation with said stop device to trip and free the same.

6. In a device of the character described, a sinker, a mine carried thereby, a rotatable drum in said sinker, a cable wound on said drum and connected to said mine, the separation of said mine and sinker causing said cable to rotate said drum and be unwound therefrom, a stop device for said drum, a lever, means applying hydrostatic pressure to shift said lever in one direction, and pressure applying means shiftable along said lever proportionally to the unwinding of said cable, said lever being in operative relation with said stop device to trip and free the same.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sinker, a mine carried thereby, a drum in said sinker, a. cable wound on said drum and connected to said mine, the separation of said mine and sinker causing said cable to rotate said drum and be unwound therefrom, a stop device for said drum normally held out of action, a lever, a movable surface exposed to hydrostatic pressure and tending to shift said lever in one direction, a traveler movable along said lever and tending to shift it in the reverse direction, manually operable means for initially adjusting the position of said traveler on said lever, automatic means operated by said drum and shifting` said traveler propor- .tionally to the unwinding of the cable, and

means operable by said lever to free said stop device.

8. In apparatus for regulating the depth of immersion of floating mines anchored to the bottom by a sinker connected by a buoy rope to the floating mine, the combination with a windlass drum having a constant tendency to unwind the buoy rope, of a hydrostatic device consisting of a movable diaphragm located in the sinker, and subjected during the unwinding operation on one side to the pressure due to the depth of the sinker in its anchoring position, and on the other side to a constant pressure existing in a closed chamber, a movable part adapted to be moved by the unwinding of the buoy rope proportionally to the amount of said unwinding, and to transmit to said diaphragm an opposing effort having a variable leverage, which said effort is caused by the preadjustment of the initial position of said movable part, to become preponderant at the instant when the unwound length of the buoy rope is equal to the predetermined depth of immersion of the floating mine.

9. In apparatus for regulating the depth of immersion of floating mines anchored to the bottom by a sinker connected by a buoy rope to the floating mine, the combination with a windlass drum having a constant tendency to unwin'd the buoy rope, of a hydrostatic device consisting of a movable diaphragm located in the sinker, and subjected during the unwinding operation on one side to the pressure due to the depth of the sinker in its anchoring position, and on the other side to a constant pressure existing in a closed chamber, a balanced rocking beam one arm of which is connected to said hydrostatic device, a traveler adapted to eXert a constant opposing effort upon the other arm of said rocking beam, movable along a rotating screw, said screw being rotated through gearing by the pull of the nnwinding buoy rope proportionally to the unwound length of the latter, a guide in said sinker wherein said traveler can be given, relatively to the rocking axis of said rocking beam, an initial position corresponding to the pre-determineddep'th of immersion of the floating mine.

10. In apparatus for regulating the depth of immersion of floating mines anchored to the bottom by a sinker connected by a buoy rope to the floating mine, the combination with a windlass drum having a constant tendency to unwind the buoy rope, of a hydrostatic device consisting of a movable diaphragm located in the sinker, and subjected during the unwinding operation on one side to the pressure due to the depth of the sinlrer in its anchoring position, and on the other side to a constant pressure existing in a closed chamber, a balanced rocking beam one arm of which is connected to said hydrostatic device, a traveler movable along a rotating screw, said screw being rotated M2. MMUNITIUN AND EXMSWE DEVICES through gearing by the pull of the unwinding buoy rope proportlonally to the un- Wound length of the latter, a bell-crank lever pivoted to said traveler, a roller mounted on one arm of said bell-orank lever, adapted to bear upon the other arm of said rocking beam, and a spring attached at one end to the other arm of said bell-crank lever, and attached at its other end adjust- 10` ably to a xed point of said traveler, whereby a constant opposing effort is exerted upon said other arm of said rocking beam.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speoieaton in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EUGNE SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. P. PREssLY, B. DE SEVELINGER.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Wuhington, D. C. 

